Side of Ranch -- Managing Editor Jay Heater's blog

In moving to the East County area, some improvements in living conditions were obvious.

The beautiful weather, the wonderful flowers and colors, gorgeous homes.

But today I am here to talk about deli meat, and those who serve it up.

Seems fitting that Boar's Head is right here in Lakewood Ranch because I actually got great service at a supermarket deli.

For those of you who have lived in Indiana (my last stop), or even California for that matter, let me say that again. I got some great service.

If you have lived here a while, or if you are a displaced Northeast native, you probably are used to solid service at the deli. They slice a piece of meat or cheese, ask if it's OK, then slice it up and stack it in front of your eyes.

Here's how it goes, at least through my experience in Indiana and California. The meat is precut and stacked in a heap in the deli case. If you want something sliced, you are greeted with a scowl. You get it home and it turns into a wet lump, and it gets tossed a few days later.

Then you ask for a half pound of Havarti.

"What?"

Havarti. 

"What?

That cheese over there.

It then gets sliced without the paper in between and is all stuck together, again in a lump.

I'm so happy to have left that behind.

***

I'm headed out to play in the Putts For Mutts golf tournament at the Ritz to benefit the Humane Society. If you happen to be driving past the golf course ... duck.